Navigation

Potami throws in the towel after EU election battering

Centrist party To Potami announced it will not be running in the upcoming Greek general elections on July 7, following a meeting of its political council on Tuesday night.

The party was all but wiped out in the European elections last Sunday, where it garnered just 1.51 percent of the vote (85,092 votes), compared with 6.61 percent in the previous EU elections in 2014, when it send two MEP in Brussels.

“The political council views that running in the national elections on July 7 would mean that Potami deliberately disregards the recent verdict of the citizens. However, it calls on the 85,000 citizens who voted Potami on May 26 to overcome their reasonable bitterness and participate in the parliamentary elections,” the party said in a press release.

During the meeting, party leader Stavros Theodorakis announced his intention to resign from his position, clarifying he will not seek reelection in the Greek Parliament with any party.

He also proposed party MP and vice-president Giorgos Mavrotas as his successor. The decision on who will lead Potami will be taken in its scheduled conference next autumn. Until then, Theodorakis will remain at the helm of Potami, based on the rules outlined in the party's statute.

Speaking on radio station News 24/7 on Wednesday, Mavrotas said he may run for the top position but any decisions will be taken collectively at the conference.